So, I guess the next question is, how many triathletes will be converting to Islam soon?
Suddenly everyone seems to be a Faris fan, when before IMAZ and IMH I would say that my favorite was Faris and people would go “WHO?”…
If Faris had DNF’d or finished 12th, would being non-mathematical and going balls out STILL be a great thing?
If someone that was entirely mathematical won the event, would THAT be the greatest thing.
I’m really going out on a limb here (not really) and speculating for the majority of the people, somewhere between the two extremes in a good place to be.
Ferris is still the kid that skipped school and made an arse out of Principal Edward Rooney. That Al-Sutan dude with the loping-stride just won the biggest triathlon race … which doesn’t make hardly any of the newspapers in the USA.
I thought he was way cooler before you thought he was cool. Which makes me way cooler. So there… LOL 
No, no… I’ve been a fan since I noticed that he almost never shaves!!! :-p
yeah, i hope that he will set an example for all triathletes to be less mathematical about their training and just go as hard as they can more often
Some of us can’t help but be mathematical about everything. It’s in our blood.
-C
Yeah…a complete luddite with no technical infoz or need for numbers whatsoever.
http://2peak.com/tools/hawaii3.php
ahem.
Yeah…a complete luddite with no technical infoz or need for numbers whatsoever.
http://2peak.com/tools/hawaii3.php
ahem.
LOL…Funny. I was waiting for that one. I didn’t want to ruin the lovefest.
is one of the benefits of being a pro getting real cutlery instead of plastic stuff?
Hopefully, a hairy legged triathlete will win at Kona someday.
F’n hilarious, and true observation.
I also love the “he just goes balls out hard” comments, too…as if the others were somehow NOT going hard…
Faris had a great day. All this crap trying to define his performance, how he did it, or somehow find the box of performance he got his race out of takes away from the simple idea that he had a great day.
I’m reminded of the legion of folks who have been trying in vain for years to replicate Mark Allen’s shamanistic/zen approach…as if that were the missing ingredient in their own performance…
Then again…maybe its good that folks assume Faris is some sort of Taco-Bell fueled animal bumpkin who magically stumbled onto success in Hawaii…
Then again…maybe its good that folks assume Faris is some sort of Taco-Bell fueled animal bumpkin who magically stumbled onto success in Hawaii…
Ooh! new signature line, do ya mind?
It happens every year … in every sport.
For those that can’t tell, the picture features a “bandwagon”.
I had picked him for the win at both events…you’re not alone
.
well, in defense of my original comment that he is oldschool, look at
http://homepage.mac.com/ironclm/Menu6.html
Triathlete: How did you approach the day yesterday? What was your race plan?
Faris Al-Sultan: My plan is always the same: try as hard as I can from the very beginning. And that was exactly what I did.
Triathlete: Do you work with a coach?
Faris Al-Sultan: No. Of course there are people I can ask if I have problems, but I do my own training.
or look at this picture from IMAZ that shows Faris finishing the run without a HRM on his wrist
http://www.insidetri.com/news/fea/2636.0.html
or this description of his training philosophy. http://vnews.ironmanlive.com/vnews/topstories/1114702845
“Train as much as possible” includes 450 miles of biking every week, along with 40 miles of running, and then 10-15 miles in the pool.
“That’s basically it,” he said. “I come home, recover, then I have some hard sessions and then I start tapering for my races.”
When he is at his home in Munich, the 27-year-old swims five times a week with a swim club.
“We do a lot of medley to stay flexible and to not fall into a certain kind of pattern,” he said. “I also try to work on the technique all the time, which is difficult if you always try to work on your own.
When I’m at a training camp, a lot of my swimming is alone, and my technique becomes a lot worse.”
Al-Sultan’s biking regimen is … well, hardly regimented!
“On the bike, I train outside. If it rains, then I don’t go.”
“I hardly do any intervals on the bike,” he said. “Most of the time it’s just racing or doing easy stuff. I do a lot of strength work on the bike where I put on a high gear and really push hard. I do a lot of that.”
(Anyone who saw Al-Sultan pull away from the rest of the field on the bike in Arizona won’t have any problems believing that statement!)
In terms of running, Al-Sultan regularly does one hard track session every week.
“Then one race or a longer run,” he said. “For the race I’ll cycle there, do the race, then cycle back. It’s a very good workout. Then the rest (of my running) is pretty easy.”
“Two or three times before an Ironman I do a two-and-a-half or three-hour run,” he said. “I go pretty easy for 1:45 or 2 hours, then for about 20 or 30 minutes really hard.”
Al-Sultan will test his training formula in three Ironman distance events this year – in addition to his race in Arizona, he’ll also compete at the Quelle Challenge in Roth, and will, of course, be back in Kona in October.
there definitely is something to the idea that Fairs is more oldschool than his competitors.
i love the negative vibe and the eagerness to disagree with people though (on the board in general not this specific poster)
We are all genius!
I see a huge comeback with the SPEEDO!!! Kind of like Normann and Kuota’s! Faris and Speedos!! 
Interesting. I wonder if he really is as “aw shucks” as that sounds, or if there is more method into what he does than what he is letting on.
Some of my friends are into powerlifting/strongman. They have a term called “retard strength” (I apologize for the offensiveness … I don’t know of a more PC equivalent) to describe people that are strong as heck, but don’t really know how they became strong. They are able to train and progress while making mistakes that others could not make and by doing whatever training fancies them at the moment. Essentially, their ability allows them to train as goofy as possible, and still progress.
One could suppose that Faris has “Dumb speed/endurance” … but, I have a suspician that Faris could talk more eloquently about training if he so desired. In other words, I think he understands more than he is letting on.
I guess you are describing the “Forrest Gump” syndrome. Stupid is as Stupid Does. Not sure if this would apply to Faris in particular, but definitely to “Old School” training.
Like my new sig line? It is a quote form a Bike Mechanic in Kona to a friend of ours.
Support Crew
Never do anything Joe Bonness tells you.
I just read one of the articles you linked: http://www.insidetri.com/news/fea/2636.0.html
I find it interesting that he names Hellriegel as his role model, though definitely not surprised. Since the mid-90’s Hellriegel has ben using the whole man-bra look. Pulling his singlet up over his ab’s.
It happens every year … in every sport.
For those that can’t tell, the picture features a “bandwagon”.
To prove how cool I truly am I will now become the very first STer to jump OFF the Faris bandwagon. I’m canceling those burritto supremes, pouring those cokes down the drain and spitting out my beer. I’m off to wash that cottage cheese…(Now THAT’S old school!)